Method and apparatus for loading a grain bin



June 10, 1958 R. D. KNIGHT ET AL 2,838,076

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING A GRAIN BIN Filed Jan. 5, 1957 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mun ill!!!" 26 22 30 //v VEN 70/?5 2 ROBERT 0. KNIGHT,

ALDEN o. MASON and moms MEL V/LLE their A flame y.

' June 10, 1958 R. D. KNIGHT ET AL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING A GRAIN BIN Filed Jan. 3, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TORS ROBERT D. KNIGHT, ALDEN 0. MASON and 1 THOMAS MELV/LLE By M 6 Afl-fi their A/Iomey.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LGADING A GRAIN BIN Robert D. Knight, Shaker Heights, Alden 0. Mason, Lakewood, and Thomas Melville, South Russell, Ohio, assignors to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of N ew Jersey I Application January 3, 1957, Serial No. 6325311 Claims. (Cl. 141-4) This invention relates to a method and apparatus for loading a grain bin and more particularly a grain bin having a vertical vent. Various types of vents have been proposed for use in corn cribs and grain bins such as that shown in the patent to Wise No. 2,580,872. The

vent shown therein is particularly adapted for corn cribs s and is made up of a plurality of sections fastened end to end. It is difficult to handle the springs because they are not readily held in compressed position and are therefore handled in expanded position. It is also difiicult to load a grain bin when utilizing this type of vent. Other vents of which we have knowledge also are subject to these difficulties.

It is therefore an object of our invention to provide an extensible vent for grain bins which can be readily held in compressed position.

Another object is to provide an extensible vent which can be readily attached in vertical position in a grain bin.

Still another object is to provide a method of loading and venting a grain bin.

These and other objects will be more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, in Which:

Figure 1 shows a vent in position in a grain bin;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the vent of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a viewof the vent in compressed position;

Figure 4 is a view of a detail; and

Figure 5 is a view of a bag used in the vent.

,Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral 2 indicates a sleeve preferably made of metal. The sleeve has a pair of diametrically opposed slots 4 in itsupper end and a pair of slots 6 in its lower end aligned with the slots 4. The sleeve 2 has three holes 8 equally spaced around its periphery a short distance below the top thereof and a pair of diametrically opposed holes 10 a short distance below the holes 8. A clamp 12 is fastened to the sleeve 2 at each hole 8 and it) by means of a sheet metal screw 14 as best shown in Figure 4. A spring 16 surrounds sleeve 2 and its upper convolution is fastened'thereto by means of the clamps 12 in holes 16. The spring 16 is of considerably greater length than the sleeve 2 when in extended position but it may be compressed as shown in Figure 3 to a length shorter than the sleeve 2. The spring is compressed in any suitable manner and is held in position by means of a string 18 which passes through the slots 4 and 6 as shown; A typical sleeve may have a length of seventeen inches with the spring having an expanded length of twelve feet. The lower end of the spring is bent inwardly at 20 so that it can extend into one of the slots 6 to keep the spring from moving around the sleeve 2. A bag 22 surrounds the sleeve 2 and is fastened thereto above the holes 10 in any suitable manner such as by means of wires 24 as shown in Figure 2. The bag 22 has an imperforate upper section 25 and a 2,838,076 Patented June 10,. 1958 perforated lower section 26. The upper end of the bag is open and the lower end preferably closed. The bag may be made by sandwiching two pieces of perforate paper 28 between two pieces of screen cloth 30 and then fastening the paper 28 and cloth 30 along their longitudinal edges as shown in Figure 5. The paper 28 is shorter than the screen cloth.3t) and isshown as being one-half the length of the cloth-30. A hood 32 is adapted to be mounted on top of the. sleeve 2.. The hoodv 32 which is preferably made of metal has. a sloping top 34. Three slots 36 arearranged around the periphery: of the hood for a purpose which will appear later. A downwardly extending flange 38 is provided by part of the metal from each slot. A collar 40 is welded to the flanges 38 and has its lower end crimped at 42 to enable the sleeve 2 to slide readily thereover.

. In assembly, the sleeve 2 with the spring 16 clamped thereon is suspended from an opening 44 at the top of the grain bin 46 by means of three books 48. The lower ends of the hooks 43 are received in the clamps 12 associated with the openings 8. The bag 22 is attached to the sleeve 2 by means of wires 24 or another clamping device and the string 18 is out. This may be done by the workman inserting his hand through the opening 44 and cutting the string on the inside of the sleeve 2. This releases the spring 16 enabling it to expand within the bag 22. The hood 32 is then placed on top of sleeve 2 with the hooks 48 extending through the slots 36. The flanges 38 act as stops to limit downward movement of the hood 32. While it is preferred that the steps be carried out in the sequence set forth above it is not necessary to do so and the steps may be carried out in any sequence. The grain is then dumped through the hole 44 with the hood 32 functioning to spread the grain around the inside of the bin and also preventing the grain from falling through the sleeve 2. After the grain has been loaded to the desired height the hood 32 is removed. With this arrangement the imperforate part of the bag 22 acts as a chimney to create a draft to pull air therethrough and thus aerate the grain. It will be understood that the bag 22 may be made in various ways other than that shown. For example, the entire bag may be made of screen cloth with the holes in the upper part thereof being filled with a plastic material. If the hood 32 is provided with openings into the sleeve 2 the hood need not be removed to create a draft. it is also possible to use the vent in a horizontal position either with or without the bag 22 surrounding it.

While one embodiment of our invention has been shown and described it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. An extensible vent for grain bins comprising a sleeve, a spring having an expanded length much greater than the length of said sleeve, means for attaching one end of said spring to said sleeve substantially coaxial therewith, and means for holding said spring in compressed condition on said sleeve.

2. An extensible vent for grain bins according to claim 1 having a perforated bag'attached to said sleeve, said bag having a length at least as great as the expanded length of said spring.

3. The method of loading and venting a grain bin having an opening in the top thereof comprising suspending a sleeve having a spring and a perforated bag fastened thereto from said grain bin below said opening, said spring and bag extending a substantial distance below said sleeve, placing a hood having a sloping top on the upper end of said sleeve, and then pouring 2,838,076 W I i grain into said bin through said opening until the bin is loaded to the desired height.

4. The method of loading and venting a grain bin having an opening in the top thereof comprising suspending a sleeve having a spring and a bag fastened thereto from said grain bin below said opening, said spring and bag extending a substantial distance below said sleeve With said bag having an imperforate upper section and a perforated lower section, placing a hood having a sloping top on the upper end of said sleeve, and then pouring grain into said bin through said opening until the bin is loaded to the desired height.

l 5. The method of loading and venting a grain bin having an opening in the top thereof comprising suspending a sleeve having a spring fastened thereto in com- 4 pressed position from said grain bin below said opening, fastening a bag having an imperforate upper section and a perforated lower section to said sleeve around said spring, releasing said spring to expanded position, placing a hood having a sloping top on the upper end of said sleeve, then pouring grain into said bin through said opening until the bin is loaded to the desired height, and then removing said hood.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

